Releasable pawl and ratchet mechanisms

ABSTRACT

A pawl is coaxially mounted on the shaft of a control button with which it is angularly interlocked but with an angular play. A spring selectively urges the pawl either towards an operative position in engagement with a ratchet or an inoperative position spaced from the ratchet, selection taking place by turning the control button. When the pawl is in operative position, the ratchet can turn in one direction which oscillates the pawl through an angle smaller than its angular play with the control button which is therefore not caused to oscillate. The shaft can be loosely mounted on a support with an elastomeric packing member to take up play and ensure fluidtightness; similarly, the pawl can be loosely mounted on the shaft so that when the pawl locks the ratchet, the pawl is pressed against a supporting surface thereby avoiding strain on the shaft.

United States Patent Lemery 51 June 20, 1972 72] Inventor:

[73] Assignee:

Jean-Paul Lemery, Cluses, France Etablissements Carpano & Pons, Cluses,France [22] Filed: July 21,1970

[21] Appl.No.: 56,804

'FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 454,315 1/1949 Canada ..l88/82.3102,921 1/1924 Switzerland ..l88/82.2

Primary Examiner-George E. A. Halvosa Attorney-Robert E. Burns andEmmanuel J. Lobato [57] ABSTRACT A pawl is coaxially mounted on theshafi of a control button with which it is angularly interlocked butwith an angular play. A spring selectively urges the pawl either towardsan operative position in engagement with a ratchet or an inoperativeposition spaced from the ratchet, selection taking place by turning thecontrol button. When the pawl is in operative position, the ratchet canturn in one direction which oscillates the pawl through an angle smallerthan its angular play with the control button which is therefore notcaused to oscillate. The shaft can be loosely mounted on a support withan elastorncric packing member to take up play and ensurefluidtightness; similarly, the pawl can be loosely mounted on the shaftso that when the pawl locks the ratchet, the pawl is pressed against asupporting surface thereby avoiding strain on the shaft.

7 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures RELEASABLE PAWL AND RATCHET MECHANISMS-This invention relates to pawl and ratchet mechanisms.

Releasable pawl and ratchet mechanisms are known, for example forfishing reels. The pawl, when in an operative position, allows rotationof the ratchet in only one direction but can be moved into aninoperative position, in which it allows rotation of the ratchet in bothdirections, by means of a control member generally fixed to the pawl andprotruding outside a casing which houses the pawl and ratchet mechanism.

These devices suffer various drawbacks. The control member is caused tovibrate when the ratchet is rotated with the pawl in operative position,which is unsightly and often inconvenient. Furthennore, the controlmember generally requires provision of an oblong aperture in the casingso that the device is not watertight.

A certain well known type of releasable pawl and ratchet mechanismobviates these drawbacks in an efficient manner, but the device iscostly. A push-button, lever, stud or other control member is locatedoutside the casing and operates a cam which in turn can move the pawl bymeans of a shafi passing through the casing. However, the pawl and thecontrol member must each have a return spring, which adds to the cost.

It is an object of the invention to provide a simple releasable pawl andratchet device which overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks and whichcan be manufactured economically.

Another object of the invention is to provide a releasable pawl andratchet device which stands up well to wear and, in particular, in whichwear on the pivoting shaft of the pawl is avoided. An additional objectis to provide a releasable pawl and ratchet device which can be simplydismantled, and mounted and in which the direction of rotation of theratchet can, if desired, be reversed.

According to the invention, there is provided a releasable pawl andratchet device comprising control means coaxially mounted with the pawlfor pivoting the pawl between 'an operative position in engagement withthe ratchet and an inoperative position spaced from the ratchet, and aspring selectively urging the pawl either towards the operative positionor the inoperative position, wherein the control means and the pawl areangularly interlocked with an angular play at least as great as theangular excursion of the pawl caused by rotation of the ratchet whilstthe pawl is in the operative position.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with referenceto the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a partially cut-away side view of a device according to theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section along line A-'A of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a control button for the device ofFIGS. 1 and 2; p

FIG. 4 is a cross-section along line A-A of FIG. 3;

1 The pawl 1 is held on button 2 by a washer 6 removably fixed to theratchet 6a.

Once the pawl is mounted, the button 2 is prevented from adopting analignment such that the projections 2b and 2c can FIGS. 5 and 6 areschematic views of part of the housing of pass through the aperture 50so that the button 2 cannot unwantedly fall out of the housing 5.

Play in the mounting of button 2 is taken up by an elastic washer 4 incellular plastics material or an elastomer which also ensureswatertightness of the joint which is important, for example, when thedevice is incorporated in a fishing reel.

The angular movement of pawl 1 away from the ratchet 6a is limited by astop 7 fixed on frame 5. A blade spring 3 (see FIGS. 7 to 12) is bowedbetween a notch la on the pawl l and a notch 9a in a stud 9 on thecasing 5 so that the pawl is urged either towards a first position inwhich it abuts the stop, 7 (FIG. 7) or towards a second position inwhich it operatively engages the ratchet 6a (FIG. 8); in between thesetwo positions, the spring 3 has an unstable equilibrium position whenthe center of the shaft 20, the notch la and the notch lb are in line sothat the pawl I can be selectively moved between the first and secondpositions by turning button 2.

Operation of the device will now be described with particular referenceto FIGS. 7 to 1 1.

In the first position (FIG. 7) the pawl l is urged against the stop 7 byspring 3. In this position the pawl is completely disengaged from theratchet 6a which is free to rotate in both directions.

When the button 2 is turned counter-clockwise (looking at FIG. 7)surface 2} of part 2c of the button engages the surface lb of the pawlwhich is thus moved from the first to the second position (FIG. 8) inwhich it is operatively pressed against'the ratchet 6a byspring 3.

With the pawl in this second position, the ratchet can rotate in thecounter-clockwise direction as indicated by arrow Fl (FIG. 9). As theratchet is rotated in direction F1 by its driving shaft 6b,the teeththereof cause the pawl to intermittently oscillate through an angle 01,,the pawl being permanently urged in the counter-clockwise direction byspring 3. The first tooth of the ratchet that lifts the pawl alsocaus'es displacement of the control button 2 through an angle a, byaction of the surface 1b of the pawl on the surface 2f. Whilst the pawlis returned to its original position between two teeth I by action ofthe spring 3 the control button remains in the position of F IG 9 duringfurther rotation of the ratchet. It can thus be seen that duringrotation of the ratchet in the direction of arrow Fl the control buttonwill not be caused to vibrate or oscillate.

If a force is applied to tend to turn the ratchet in the direction ofarrow F2 (FIG. 10), a tooth of the ratchet transmits a stress T tothepawl. Stress T is not transmitted to the control button 2. Instead, Ithe diametral play (schematically indicated by l 1) between the pawl andshaft 2a allows the pawl to be moved to abut against a face 8a of aprojection 8 on the housing 5. Therefore, however great to the forcetending to turn the ratchet in the direction F2, there is no risk ofshearing or causing undue wear on the button 2.

ton must be turned through an angle a2 before the surface 2 moulding inplastics material. Alternatively button 2 could be in metal. The buttoncomprises two quadrant-shaped projections 2b and 2c of differentthickness projecting from a shaft 2a. The housing 5 is provided with anaperture 5a (FIG. 6) shaped to allow projections 2b and 20 to freelypass therethrough so that button 2 can be mounted on the housing 5 witha knurled head portion located outside the housing and the projections2b and 2c inside.

The pawl 1 is freely mounted with angular play (see FIG. 1) on the endof shaft 20 adjacent the projection 20 so that the pawl can beangularly. moved by turning the knurled part of button 2. The pawl alsohas a certain diametral play, the purpose of which will be describedfurther on.

The pawl can be released from the ratchet by turning the button 2 in thedirection F3, as indicated in FIG. 1 l.

The surface 23 of the button is freely turned until it comes intocontact with the surface 1c of the pawl; at most, the butcontacts thepawl. Then, against action of the spring 3, the

' button 2 is lifted until the spring has passed its point of unstableequilibrium from where the pawl is urged by the spring 3 towards thefirst position of FIG. 7.

Tl-Ie direction of rotation of the ratchet, when the pawl is operating,can easily be reversed in the described device, as is indicated'in FIG.12. A second stop 7a and a second stud 10' are provided on the otherside of button 8 to the stop 7 and stud 10. The pawl 1 is placed onbutton 2 facing in the other direction to that shown in FIG. 1 and FIGS.7 to 11 and the operates in an exactly similar manner to before, apartfrom the allowed direction of rotation of the ratchet 6a when the pawlis in the operative position.

The device can be assembled and dismantled without the need for specialtools and without difiiculty. It is particularly suitable for use infishing reels, but this use is given solely by way of example.

I claim l. A releasable pawl and ratchet device comprising a pawlpivotally mounted for operative engagement with a rotatable toothedratchet and control means rotatably mounted coaxially with the pawl forpivoting the pawl between an operative position in engagement with theratchet and an inoperative position spaced from the ratchet, and aspring selectively urging the pawl either towards the operative positionor the inoperative position, the pawl when in the operative positionallowing rotation of the ratchet in one direction which causesoscillation of the pawl by the ratchet with a given angular excursion ofthe pawl, said control means comprising a shaft and said pawl beingpivotally rotatable around said shaft, the control means and the pawlbeing angularly interconnected for angular movement of said pawlselectively from operative position to inoperative position and frominoperative position to operative position by angular movement of saidcontrol means, the angular connection between said control means andsaid pawl being provided with an angular play at least as great as saidangular excursion of the pawl to permit said control means to remainstationary during said oscillation of the pawl when in operativeposition.

2. A pawl and ratchet device as claimed in claim 1, wherein in theinoperative position the pawl abuts against a stop member.

8. A pawl and ratchet device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the springis a blade spring bowed between a recess in the pawl and a fixed member,an imaginary line joining the axis of pivoting of the pawl and the fixedmember defining, when the recess coincides with said line, a state ofmaximum bowing of the spring, the recess being located on one side ofsaid line when the pawl is in the operative position and on the otherside of said line when the pawl is in the inoperative position, and thecontrol means enabling the pawl to be turned so that the recess can bemoved from a position on one side of said line to a position on theother side.

4. A pawl and ratchet device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ratchethas symmetrical teeth and wherein the pawl and spring can be reversiblymounted in relation to the control means, whereby the direction ofrotation of the ratchet with the pawl in the operative position can bereversed.

5. A pawl and ratchet device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shafthas first and second ends, and said control means further comprises acontrol button on the first end of said shaft, and a projection on thesecond end, said projection being engageable against a first surface ofthe pawl to cause pivoting thereof in a first direction and against asecond surface of the pawl to cause pivoting thereof in a seconddirection.

6. A pawl and ratchet device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the shafipasses through an aperture in a support with radial and axial play, thebutton being located on one side of the support and the pawl beinglocated on the other side of the support, and comprising an elasticallydeformable packing member to take up the said radial and axial play ofthe shaft in the aperture and to ensure a fluidtight joint.

7. A pawl and ratchet device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the pawl ismounted on the shaft with a radial play, and comprising a supportingsurface adjacent to the pawl such that if a force tends to turn theratchet in the direction opposed by the pawl while the pawl is in theoperative position, the pawl is pressed against and supported by thesupporting surface.

t I i

1. A releasable pawl and ratchet device comprising a pawl pivotallymounted for operative engagement with a rotatable toothed ratchet andcontrol means rotatably mounted coaxially with the pawl for pivoting thepawl between an operative position in engagement with the ratchet and aninoperative position spaced from the ratchet, and a spring selectivelyurging the pawl either towards the operative position or the inoperativeposition, the pawl when in the operative position allowing rotation ofthe ratchet in one direction which causes oscillation of the pawl by theratchet with a given angular excursion of the pawl, said control meanscomprising a shaft and said pawl being pivotally rotatable around saidshaft, the control means and the pawl being angularly interconnected forangular movement of said pawl selectively from operative position toinoperative position and from inoperative position to operative positionby angular movement of said control means, the angular connectionbetween said control means and said pawl being provided with an angularplay at least as great as said angular excursion of the pawl to permitsaid control means to remain stationary during said oscillation of thepawl when in operative position.
 2. A pawl and ratchet device as claimedin claim 1, wherein in the inoperative position the pawl abuts against astop member.
 3. A pawl and ratchet device as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe spring is a blade spring bowed between a recess in the pawl and afixed member, an Imaginary line joining the axis of pivoting of the pawland the fixed member defining, when the recess coincides with said line,a state of maximum bowing of the spring, the recess being located on oneside of said line when the pawl is in the operative position and on theother side of said line when the pawl is in the inoperative position,and the control means enabling the pawl to be turned so that the recesscan be moved from a position on one side of said line to a position onthe other side.
 4. A pawl and ratchet device as claimed in claim 1,wherein the ratchet has symmetrical teeth and wherein the pawl andspring can be reversibly mounted in relation to the control means,whereby the direction of rotation of the ratchet with the pawl in theoperative position can be reversed.
 5. A pawl and ratchet device asclaimed in claim 1, wherein said shaft has first and second ends, andsaid control means further comprises a control button on the first endof said shaft, and a projection on the second end, said projection beingengageable against a first surface of the pawl to cause pivoting thereofin a first direction and against a second surface of the pawl to causepivoting thereof in a second direction.
 6. A pawl and ratchet device asclaimed in claim 5, wherein the shaft passes through an aperture in asupport with radial and axial play, the button being located on one sideof the support and the pawl being located on the other side of thesupport, and comprising an elastically deformable packing member to takeup the said radial and axial play of the shaft in the aperture and toensure a fluidtight joint.
 7. A pawl and ratchet device as claimed inclaim 5, wherein the pawl is mounted on the shaft with a radial play,and comprising a supporting surface adjacent to the pawl such that if aforce tends to turn the ratchet in the direction opposed by the pawlwhile the pawl is in the operative position, the pawl is pressed againstand supported by the supporting surface.